


a jthm drabble

by Princess_Peregrine



Category: I Feel Sick (Comic), Johnny the Homicidal Maniac
Genre: F/M, not sure what to tag this actually
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-02
Updated: 2020-02-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:49:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22522786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Princess_Peregrine/pseuds/Princess_Peregrine
Summary: had an idea at work and i'm not sure what to put as a summary i just needed to type it before i forgot the idea
Relationships: Johnny "Nny" C./Devi D.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	a jthm drabble

Johnny kneeled and touched the grate on the floor. “There is a wall in a room on one of the upper levels. You're underground right now; I found these lower rooms when I came here, as well as more devices like the one you're in. But anyhow, if I don't keep 'Painting' the wall, it goes soft, and something from the other side begins to push through. My curiosity is not so much that I would find out what that 'thing' is. So you see, I can't wait any longer.”

“There are more devices like this one?” Edgar asked, his own curiosity peaked with a desire learn as much before he dies.

“There are many more.” Johnny said standing up. “I don't know why but it's not something I'd like to learn. There are more urgent things that need to be tended to first. The people that made them are long gone so why should I wonder.”

“We're the paintings here as well?” Edgar asked. “They're quite nice. Despite my certain circumstance I can appreciate them. I had once tried to take up art, but I hadn't the capacity.”

“The paintings?” Johnny said pondering. “No, I don't think so. I think, I painted them, the memory is hazy but I do think I painted them. Although I haven't made anything quite as nice, in a very long time. I think there was a girl helping me with these eyes, but I can't recall who she was.”

“Do you think you could show me more, and let me go?” Edgar pleaded. 

“No, It's far too late for that now. Although talking to you has been nice, and I would love to show you more, it's very important that you die soon.” Johnny apologized.

“I see.” Was all Edgar said. 

“You know, people in your position don't normally act so friendly with me, especially when they're about to die. The concept of death closing in on them normally has a more profound impact in people!” Johnny said frustrated. “But you're calm! You're being friendly to me! Where is your fear?!” 

“I would rather not die, but it seems I have no say in the matter. I'm not clouded like you; I have nothing, really. I may have a friend in you and I'm sorry that you might miss me. But I do have faith; you know, God and all that. A Heaven for me, and a Hell for you, so FUCK fear. I have nothing to fear.” Edgar said, as if closing his own eulogy.

“I envy your conviction.” Johnny said gripping the lever that would activate the device. “Goodbye friend.” He pulled, and a loud clang and squelch echoed through the now awkwardly quiet room. “I should take up painting again.” 

-

“Oh hey, mister philosophy is back.” Devi said with a smile as Johnny approached the counter. He always came to the bookstore every Thursday. She always looked forward to his little visits, lasting anywhere from an hour to three, sometimes just talking to her. It was adorable, he would get so heated during his rants. Honestly if it wasn't for him and the two other nice customers, she would have quit a long time ago, but she dreaded having so many new people she would have to meet to make another job worth it. So she didn't. “You will not believe the date I had the other night.”

“Devi!” Johnny said excitedly.

“Woah, calm down there buddy, we are in a bookstore. Granted it's not a library but you are supposed to be quiet.” Devi said walking out from behind the counter she was working behind. 

“Devi don't leave me here.” Pleaded a coworker that was also behind the register with her. 

“Bathroom break.” Devi said before walking away. 

-

“That's so fucking stupid!” Johnny laughed in his seat. 

“Fuck, I know right? It's like, just go the fuck the bathroom. It's not like I would hate him for using the fucking toilet. What a shame too, the date was going pretty good too.” Devi said. “He was a lot like you.” 

“Oh?” Johnny said, taking another slurp of his slushy.

“Yeah, same taste in movies, same taste in music, he didn't go on rants though, which thank goodness he didn't do that on the first date. But yeah, a lot like you.” Devi smirked, her expression quickly changing that to one of another thought coming to her. “Oh, but he also wore this stupid fucking vest over a fucking turtleneck.” 

“Oh I fucking hate those kind of people.” Johnny said. 

“How much?” Devi asked.

“What?”

“I think if I hated that kind of stuff anymore I think I'd just start killing people with such a stupid fucking fashion sense. You know?”

“I know exactly how that feels.” Johnny said, which made Devi laugh. 

“See, this is why I like you. You're so funny.” Devi had an idea and smiled at Johnny. “In fact, do you wanna hang out tonight?”

“What?”

“You heard me. My shift ends at six. You can hang around until I get off if you'd like.” Devi said. “What are you even buying this week?” Devi reached across the table for Johnny's book. “This doesn't exactly look like your usual poetry grab.” 

“It's for my paintings.” Johnny said. “I feel like I've been self taught for too long, I'm kind of stuck in an artistic rut. You know, same style, same designs, not even very minor changes.” Johnny thought of the stick figure he had been drawing lately and winced. “Actual stupid shit.”

“I think I get it.” Devi said putting the book down. “But you know that's a kids book, right?”  
“Yeah but I figure, why not go for a hard reset, you know?” Johnny shrugged.

“Yeah, I do actually. How about this,” Devi said standing up, “I help you look for an actually helpful book, some I've actually read?” 

“Sure, why not?” 

-

“Wow. I'm sorry to hear that, but, I'm glad I can't relate.” Devi said, perched atop Johnny's car. 

“I guess it is a little funny, in a fucked up kind of way.” Johnny said, relaxing on the hood of his car. It wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world but he felt like laying down and looking at the stars, but he didn't want to lay on the ground. 

“I mean, at least you're drawing again.” Devi said. 

“I've been trying not to draw stick figures lately. I tried to draw a teddy bear that my neighbor has but it hasn't been going so good.” Johnny said with a sigh. “I remember that I used to draw and paint a lot but the memory is fading. I remember it was a big part of my life.” Johnny sat up. “You think that if you stop doing something that defined you as a person, that maybe, you cease to be that person?”

“I dunno. That's a lot of 'that's'.” Devi said jokingly.

“Come on, I was being serious.” Johnny said, although with a smile.

Devi gasped and said, “Okay sorry, serious time begins, now! Okay if I have this right, what you're describing isn't so much of a creative block, but just more of a creative rerouting.”

“OOOH.” Johnny pondered for a second. “I'm, not sure I like that.”

“No? Why not?” Devi asked.

“If if is a creative rerouting, then it means doing things I've lost enjoyment in doing. I like drawing and painting, It's just that the end result nowadays is so disappointing. But I have fun doing it.” Johnny explained. “I mean, what if you were being rerouted to read, even though it's not really what you enjoy, and stopped painting as a result?”

“Ha,” Devi laughed. “not scientifically possible. Painting practically is me. I figure if I stopped painting then I'd lose all strength. I think the only thing keeping me alive is the need to push the images out of my head.”

“Or maybe you'd turn into some hideous, madness plagued lunatic bent on performing ghoulishly obscene acts of murder from which there is no conceivable redemption?”

“NOPE!” Devi said.

“Well asking couldn't hurt.” Johnny said. “But maybe your idea is right, and I just need to look at it from a different perspective.”

“I wouldn't say that.” Devi said. “Maybe it's just that enough time has passed for you. You probably only stopped painting to forget something you didn't want to remember.”

“Or something is making me forget. I don't think it was worth forgetting if it means that I had to stop doing something I love.”

“I don't think that you should try to remember then. Just look at the bigger picture then. You're getting back into drawing and you might be as good or even better than you were before. I mean, look at that city. Looks nice enough when you look at it from this far out. Get down there and all the horrible details start coming out. People, like blemishes on some sad, concrete organism. Trying to remember might just make you drop the brush all over again.” Devi sighed. “It's so beautiful when you're looking down on it.”

“Yes,” Johnny looked at the city and saw what Devi meant. He understood all too well what she meant. People were blemishes, so was his house. Making sense for a run down shack street being in the large picture. But his house was full of atrocities, he hated it. Anyone who knew what happened in that house wouldn't consider the city to be quite as pretty. “it is an amazing illusion.”

“Beautiful.” Devi said solemnly. “Would you like to go to your place?”

“No.” Johnny said, shocking Devi. 

“Oh, do you want to go to my place then?” Devi asked.

“Sorry,” Johnny apologized. “my place is fine. It's kind of a dump though.”

“That's fine.”

-

“Tonight was amazing, I can't believe I didn't ask you out sooner.” Devi said as she sat down on Johnny's couch. “Although I was kind of hoping you were exaggerating about how much of a dump your house was.” Devi said looking around. “What's behind the huge sheet?”

“It's uh,” Johnny turned and looked at the large sheet covering the bloody wall. “It's a work in progress. And I just haven't been in a good enough place lately to start cleaning up.”

“Oh I get it, believe me. But you are getting better right? Do you think you'll be able to clean soon?”

“Probably.” Johnny said as he came to a conclusion. “You're right, I am getting better. I didn't notice it until now, but I've had an amazing time tonight. I feel great. It's so rare these days for me to remember having a good time.” He could feel the pull to the other room. The Styrofoam figures wanted to talk to him. But that was insane, talking to Styrofoam was crazy. Although it's not like what he's been doing lately hasn't been insane. And it felt like they were yelling at him, they really needed to talk to him. 

“You know, this date has made me really happy.” Devi said. 

Johnny was fumbling with what to say at that point. So many emotions that he hadn't felt in a long time were starting to resurface. “I mean, god you're beautiful, you've made me happy too.” 

“Good,” Devi said, leaning closer to Johnny. “then let's both be happy.”

Devi leaned in and got closer. The doughboys were screaming now. Johnny maintained that it was stupid. They were made of Styrofoam, Styrofoam doesn't talk and it wasn't going to ruin his mood. He'd like to keep feeling happy after all. 

“The fuck?” Devi asked. Johnny opened his eyes to see Devi still in front of him in kissing distance, but also looking at something behind him. He turned his head and saw what had drawn her attention. “Is that a fucking rabbit?” 

“Oh that?” Johnny said, trying to quickly think of an excuse. “It's taxidermy.”

“It's nailed to the fucking wall.”

“I don't have any shelves up here.” Johnny said. 

“Um.” Devi swallowed and returned to her spot on the couch. “Gonna be honest, that totally killed the mood for me.”

“Oh.” Johnny said, reconsidering his choice to not go back to the doughboys. Perhaps if he had then the situation might still be okay. Although they were never nice to him, and always made him feel awful.

“Look how about, you take me home.” Devi said. “And we can try this again next week, at my place though." 

“It's a date.” Johnny said. 

-

“You need to feed the wall Johnny.” Psycho told him. 

“I fed it earlier, what more do you want? The blood hasn't even dried yet.” Johnny asked. He thought about moving the doughboys away from his desk. They distracted him from his drawings. He had finally stopped drawing stick figures. It was his motivation to keep ignoring the stupid cutouts. 

“Blood isn't enough.” EFF said. “You need to keep killing.”

“I have storage!” Johnny yelled in the cutouts face. “When I run out I'll get more! But for now it doesn't matter! There's nearly two hundred strung up down there! What is your deal?! I Fed the stupid fucking wall, it doesn't control me!” 

“But it does!” Psycho said. “It does control you! If it didn't, why would we be here?” 

“You're right.” Johnny said, throwing the doughboys off. “I hadn't given it much thought, but you weren't here when I came here, and I didn't bring you in here. Why are you here?”

“We came from the wall.” EFF said. “Fuck, fuck no, I'm not telling you. Fuck!”

“What?” Johnny asked confused.

“We've grown weak, this wasn't supposed to happen.” Psycho answered. “Why did you have to keep drawing?! You could have just stopped having fun, you could have just kept killing but you had to improve yourself! For what?! You should just go out and keep killing for us! There's that awful night club a few blocks away, why don't you head over there?” 

“I had thought about that.” Johnny said opening a drawer, it held a backpack full of tools. 

“See! Go and kill! You don't need to bring the blood back, just go have fun!” Psycho yelled.

“Yes! It will be therapeutic! It's not like you'll get hurt, you've gotten away with everything so far. What would one nightclub be?” EFF yelled. 

“I kind of promised Tess I wouldn't do that.” Johnny said. 

“AND WHO THE FUCK IS TESS?!” Psycho screamed. “WAS DEVI NOT ENOUGH FOR YOU?! WHY ARE YOU BEING SO STUBBORN?!” 

“Tess is in one of the lower levels.” Johnny admitted. “I haven't hurt her, we've had some great conversations.”

“You're making friends with the prisoners!?” EFF asked.

“Sorta. I've been thinking, it would be okay if I let her go.” Johnny said. 

“You're an idiot! Just go to the nightclub! You'll see things from a different perspective!” One of the doughboys said, Johnny was having trouble telling them apart now, their voices started to sound the same a while ago. It didn't quite sound like the voice had come from either of them specifically, just in his head. 

“See things from a different perspective?” Johnny contemplated, there was something he felt he had to remember about that. “That reminds me.” Johnny said getting a new sheet of paper out and grabbing his pen. “I wanted to practice drawing eyes today.” Silence. “Hey.” Johnny waited for a response. “Not talking now?” no response. “That helps, I guess. Styrofoam isn't supposed to talk anyway.”

**Author's Note:**

> heya, yeah i feel like i had plans for this to have more at the end and keep going but, i forgot, i'm very forgetful in that way, so like, there was probably gonna be like another 2k words but i forgot what the plan was, even then it's late, it's actually tomorrow. okay it's too late but i remember what the plan was, johnny was gonna like, remember his ex that used to help him paint and the bobs burger figurine was gonna replace the doughboys and johnny was gonna still kill jimmy cause screw jimmy, jimmy sucks, deserves death


End file.
